Alfred van brakle



(No Model.) I

' A. VAN BRAKLE.

GAME;

NO. 435,260. Patented Aug. 26,1890.

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.eral sides are of equal length.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED VAN BRAKLE, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

GAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,260, dated August 26, 1890. Application filed January 3, 1890. Serial No. 335,747. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ALFRED VAN BRAKLE, of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Games, of which the following is a'full, clear, and exact description.

My invention is an imp rovement in the class of portable game apparatus adapted for temporary attachment to an ordinary table or other fiat surface for the purpose of enabling it to be used as a billiard-table. I employ a rigid or semi-rigid frame to which the other parts of the apparatus are attached, as hereinafter described. U

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the device. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the same, illustrating it attached to a table; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through a portion of the frame, illustrating the manner of attachin g the cushions to the said frame and of tightening the said cushions.

The body of the device consists of the skeleton frame 10, preferably made in hoop form, as illustrated, and in connection with said frame a series of cushions 11, located upon the inner face thereof, are employed. These cushions are formed of catgut, strong cord, or wire stretched in such manner as to present an elastic surface to a ball when rolled within the frame. In the construction of the cushions a single piece of materiahordinarily catgut, is used, and the cushions are so arranged I that they form a polygonal figure whose sev- This figure is produced in substantially the following manner: In the sides of the frame at regular intervals apertures are made, and in each of said apertures a key 12 is introduced. The

keys are constructed alike, and comprisea.

head a, a cylindrical body a, attached to the head at one end and terminating in a disk a at the opposite end, and a reduced shank-section a integral with the said disk, which shank-section is adapted to enter one of the frame-apertures above referred to. One. end of the catgut or other material employed is secured to the frame atone side of a key as, for instance, is illustrated at b in Fig. 1. The catgut is then carried inside of the frame to the'far side of the next key and passed outward through an aperture let in said frame and given about two turns around the key, thus forming one cushion. nipulating the catgut, it is carried inward through another aperture 15, formed in the frame at the opposite side of the key, over one end of the completed cushion, forming an angular spring-corner 16, and to the next key, where the same attachment is made. This operation is repeated until the last key is reached, which is located at or near the point Where the end of the catgut is secured to the frame. At this point, after crossing the first cushion made, the last cushion is completed by passing the catgut outward through the frame and around the last key, and, finally, the end of the catgut is attached to the frame in any suitable or approved manner, preferably by means of a wedge, as illustrated at b in Fig. 1. It will be observed that by reason of this construction the combined cushions form the polygonal figure illustrated, and, as heretofore stated, the corners thereof are flexible and well defined.

It is obvious that by applying a wrench to the heads of the keys and turning the same a proper degree of tension may be brought to bear upon the catgut to form a perfect cushion and that the shanks of the keys need not be threaded, as an inward pressure is continually exerted upon them by the tightlydrawn catgut.

, In the process of tightening up the catgut the key connected with the first cushion is first turned and theslack is drawn to the next cushion, which slack is taken up by turning the next key, and so on until the last key is reached, at which point the slack is disposed of by detaching the ends of the catgut from the frame at b, stretching the same, and again securing it.

To opposite sides of the frame straps 17 and 18 are respectively attached, the straps 18 being each provided with a buckle, and the straps 17 with apertures to receive the tongues of the buckles. After the cushions have been properly adjusted a cloth 19 is preferably After thus maplaced upon the top of a table 19, and the frame is placed upon the cloth after it has been properly stretched, and the device is fastened to the table bypassing the straps 17 under the table to an engagement with the buckles of the straps 18 upon the opposite sides.

In connection with the frame or board above described balls are en1ployed,which are placed within the frame, the said balls being adapted for manipulation by any approved form of cue.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The portable game appliance consisting of the symmetrical frame 10, having a string attached to its inner sides at uniform distances apart and tightly stretched between such points, thus forming a polygonal figure having equal sides which serve as ball-cushions, as specified.

2. The game appliance consisting of the hoop 10, having the string 11, attached at and tightly stretched between different points on its inner side, and the straps 17 and 18, at-

tached to it on opposite sides, as shown and described.

3. In a game appliance of the class described, the combination, with a hoop or independent portable frame adapted to rest on a fiat surface, of a series of rotatable keys applied to the outer side of the same and arranged at a uniform distance apart, the straight cushions arranged within the hoop and formed of a string which passes through the latter at points adjacentto said keys and attached to them,as specified, the said string being held stretched from key to key, thus forming a polygonal figure within the frame, all as shown and described.

4. In a game appliance of the class described, the combination of the straps 17 and 18 with the portable hoop 10, the string attached to and arranged within the latter, as specified, and a series of straining-keys applied to the outer side of the hoop, 'as shown and described. 1

, ,ALFRED VAN BRAKLE. Witnesses:

W. L. SNELLING, E. H. GOODWIN. 

